Welcome to The Ukulady's UkuAdventures in Echo Park!

Dear Blob,

Welcome to The Ukulady's UkuAdventures in Echo Park 'n' Silverlake! 

A 7-year Echo Parkian, I have lived on three Echo Park hills, landing from the SF/Bay Area on Montrose Street at Bonnie Brae, in a 1911 Craftsman, visible in historic photos at the Edendale Post Office on Alvarado.  I later moved uptown to Angeleno Heights, into Gloria Swanson's former mansion residence on Kensington, visually lording over a 180 degree view of Hollywood, rent subsidized by my fab roommate with a salaried job and my now-gone  voiceover job as a Gibberish Expert.

Our Unfriend, the Crashing Economy led The Ukulad and I to travel-adventures-- a quick stint in the Valley and a sublet on Cerro Gordo in the Elysian Park Hills, my favorite EP Hood.

Montrose Street was my most ghetto-tastic 'hood, with full-volume, non-family-friendly hip-hop starting at 7a.m., accompanied by teens on mini-motorbikes with engines reminiscent of hideous robot-beetles on speed  and volumes up to 11.  The vintage craftsman had sadly been made-over Home-Depot chic, with thick-white paint on the built-ins, fake wood-panelling over real wood and fake brick over real brick. 

Echo Park is the perfect neighborhood for a Bay Area transplant, surprised and thrilled to discover the area's walkability and neighborhoody atmosphere.

In those days, seven years ago, there was only one hipster eatery. It was fascinating  to watch the neighborhood, very quickly, turn over, as dozens of new 'n' hipster businesses overtook things like the Latino-hooker Bar, Pioneer Grocery and the rarely-open fake-flower 'n' Plastic-Virgins'n'Jesus shop.

My favorite EP shop discovery was at one of the Teen-Outfit stores.  Delighted at the abundance of cheap, sassy clothes, sized for Latinos & me (short & curvy), I indulged in shopping but became confused in the fitting room as nothing fit; then I realized I was in the Teen Maternity section.  This store also used to have filthy tongue rings with slogans like (buckle up) "Cum Filled" and "Hottie" next to the diaper bags.  I haven't seen this offering in a while.

My second EP Home, Gloria Swanson's former mansion, was fabulous, decadent and expensive.  Angeleno Heights is an interesting mix of gloriously restored homes and hideous, cheaply-made apartments, which led to frequent circling by the Helicopters of Echo Park.

My third home in EP took me to my favorite side of the 'Hood, the magical  Elysian Park Hills.  Cerro Gordo is next to Baxter Street, supposedly one of the steepest streets in LA; it is not for driving-sissies.  Being from San Francisco, I felt right at home in the steep-streeted hills of Elysian Park, everyday discovering a new hidden stairwalk or neighborhood treasure.

Since my fiscally-neccessary move from EP to delightful-in-a-different-way, Mar Vista/Venice, I find myself commuting to Yoga in Silverlake several times a week.  Everyone I meet in Venice thinks I'm in a yoga-cult, to commute to the Eastside, when the Westside seems to have as many yoga-eries as Highland Park has taco stands.  However, yoga, to me, is about finding teachers that rule!  No hippie-healing yoga for me; I like my yoga teachers sarcastic, sassy and hilarious.

Love The Ukulady

P.S.:   This Blob will focus on The Ukulady's favorite EP things, like cheap-tasty snacks, stairwalks and succulents.